BATTERED WOMAN SYNDROME
What Is It?
While men can also be victims of domestic violence, battered woman syndrome particularly pertains to women. A controversial concept over the years, battered woman syndrome was created by Dr. E. Walker. It describes the mindset and emotions of women who are victims of domestic violence. The syndrome differs from domestic violence by the fact that it is described as a woman who has undergone two complete battering cycles.
Legal definition: "Battered woman syndrome is a criminal defense involving a pattern of psychological dependency among women caught in long-term relationships with abusive male partners. Over time, abuse produces an irrational mental state of "learned helplessness," limiting free choice and placing victims of abuse in a spiral of conflict that occasionally results in a violent and sometimes fatal response over which they have no rational control."
Legal definition: "Battered woman syndrome is a criminal defense involving a pattern of psychological dependency among women caught in long-term relationships with abusive male partners. Over time, abuse produces an irrational mental state of "learned helplessness," limiting free choice and placing victims of abuse in a spiral of conflict that occasionally results in a violent and sometimes fatal response over which they have no rational control."
The Cycles of Abuse
- First the tension-building phase: arguments, fights, yelling, threats, etc.
- Followed by the explosion or acute battering incident: the act of violence.
- Then the calm, loving respite- often referred to as the honeymoon phase: "I'm sorry, it won't happen again, please forgive me"
The General Characteristics
- The woman believes the abuse is her fault
- The woman has the inability to place responsibility for the abuse on someone else
- The woman often fears for her life, or the lives of her children and relatives
- The woman has an irrational view that her abuser is omniscient
